Singapore's manufacturing output up 2.2 pct in January year-on-year

Singapore's manufacturing output increased 2.2 percent in January year-on-year, said the country's Economic Development Board (EDB) on Friday.

Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output grew 7.0 percent in January, said EDB in the press release.

On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, manufacturing output decreased 6.0 percent in January compared to December 2016. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output fell 1.5 percent.

As for performance by cluster, output of the precision engineering cluster grew 24.0 percent year-on-year in January. The machinery and systems segment recorded robust growth of 40.3 percent, while the precision modules and components segment inched up 1.1 percent.

EDB said electronics cluster increased 14.8 percent in January compared to the same month last year. The semiconductors and computer peripherals segments grew 25.8 percent and 3.7 percent respectively, while the rest of the electronic segments registered output declines.

The chemicals cluster registered a 3.5 percent increase year-on-year in January. Growth was led by the petroleum and petrochemicals segments; while the specialties and other chemicals segments contracted 0.8 percent and 7.3 percent respectively.

Transport engineering cluster fell 3.8 percent year-on-year in January, said EDB.

The aerospace segment grew 27.5 percent, but this was offset by declines in the land transport and marine and offshore engineering segments.

The output of biomedical manufacturing cluster declined 13.5 percent in January compared to the same period a year ago.

The medical technology segment increased 5.7 percent while the pharmaceuticals segment declined 18.3 percent, mainly due to a different mix of active pharmaceutical ingredients produced and lower output of biological products.

According to the press release, general manufacturing industries cluster decreased 13.8 percent in January year-on-year, with all segments registering declines.

The food, beverages and tobacco segment contracted 10.8 percent, and miscellaneous industries segment, printing segment also fell 14.3 percent and 22.7 percent respectively.